Bought a system without auditioning, thoughts?


Long story but I ended up buying a system without auditioning a single component and haven’t set it up, what are your thoughts? Technic SL 1210 GR, nagaoka mp-500, eversolo dmp-a6, pass labs xp 17, pass labs int-250, klipsch forte iv, Cardas clear Cygnus speaker cable, Cardas clear interconnects, Cardas clear Cygnus phono cable.  I know I don’t need the int-250 for the klipsch but got a great deal.

jshira

The Cardas where a good middle ground on price I was willing to pay and some of the reviews I read is that they lean a bit warm.  To be honest you can read so much about cables and I walked away from that rabbit hole feeling like Cardas would be right for me.

The Cygnus and standard Clear are not overly warm, more on the side of neutral.

If any of your gear is new, you are going to appreciate the speakers, amplification, cables a bit more after everything has settled in place for a few months of play time.  Seriously, give it time before making any quick judgements or changes, fwiw.

The digital source, comprising the streamer/dac A6 priced at $860, accounts for only 3.6% of the overall $24k investment in digital components. While I don't intend to judge sound quality solely by its monetary value, it's worth noting that the investment in the critical source component appears to be relatively low. I understand that, although not being able to audition beforehand, OP likely conducted extensive research and put significant thought into creating the system list.

While the A6 has earned praise as a budget-friendly and solid performer within its price range, it may not fully match the overall value and potential of the entire system. Notably, blind tests and reviews have shown favor toward the A6's Master Edition, which costs only slightly more, as well as the Volumio Primo, priced below $1,000 when played with their own app. Additionally, there are many higher-fidelity streamers and DACs available in the market.

I primarily buy used.  I will audition a piece of gear for several months this way.  If it isn't one of my favs, I just re sell it.  

In my opinion, auditing for a few hours in a room that isn't yours, with equipment that isn't yours is no match to listening in your room with your own equipment for a few weeks.  I like buying really good used equipment at a good price.  I change equipment and cyle things through and eventually sell what I no longer use.  I've done remarkably well not losing my shirt and I've been able to audition some different gear over the years which is really what it's all about.   

Auditioning?! How many here have purchased used gear for 30 years like I have without ever auditioning a single component? Auditioning, what’s that?